Scientists Have No Idea What This Weird Purple Blob Is

Researchers have just found a mysterious purple blob at the bottom of the ocean (or, more accurately, a crab found it), and they have absolutely no idea what it is. It seems to be some sort of sea animal, but the scientists who discovered it believe that it's an entirely new species:

The researchers were studying ocean wildlife from the EV Nautilus, a research boat currently based in Victoria, British Columbia. The above footage was taken by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and caught a crab trying to capture this weird purple thing. The researchers got to it first, and after initial study, they still don't know what it is.

When the scientists took samples from the animal, it separated into two lobes, which at least gives them a few clues. They suspect it is likely a nudibranch, a type of soft-bodied mollusk, but it might be an entirely new species of nudibranch, and the researchers believe it will take years to identify it with any certainty.